Great Rock Albums of 1985: Heart

Heart’s 1985 self-titled album took the band into a more mainstream direction and gained them commercial success. The album contained five singles, “What About Love,” “These Dreams,” “Never,” “Nothin’ At All” and “If Looks Could Kill,” the first four making it into the top ten. Unlike Starship though, I didn’t immediately say that Heart had sold out and became a top 40 band because there is much on this album to like. On the other hand, this album didn’t make me want to put Heart classics such as “Dreamboat Annie,” “Dog and Butterfly” nor even their previous 1983 album, “Passionworks” to one side and not listen to them anymore.

What is interesting about this album is the song arrangement. If one was a top 40 listener, they would only need to listen to the first four tracks because those were the singles. I have always been a little surprised that “If Looks Could Kill” was released as a single because I like it so much. It is a fantastic album opener. Rocky, fast with some catchy hooks, it makes you want to stick around for the rest of the album. Something a great opener should do. Track two is the successful power ballad, “What About Love.” I think that after having the greatest power ballad of all time with “Allies” from their previous album, they probably thought they were on to something. While, “What About Love” is a decent power ballad, I do like Leese’s guitar solo on it, it doesn’t come close to “Allies” in greatness. “Never” would have been better if the keyboards were toned down a little more but it’s still a good song. Then comes the single, “These Dreams,” which was and always will be known as the song Nancy Wilson sings lead. It’s a soft rock ballad and one can’t fault Nancy’s voice, it’s good nor will I make sibling comparisons here. Ann and Nancy may be sisters but they have totally different vocal styles. The irony here is that “These Dreams” was Heart’s first number one single.

Once the four singles are done and dusted, the album goes back more to Heart’s traditional harder rock roots. “Wolf” and “All Eyes” are great rockers, especially the latter which gets my award for the hidden gem for the album. The keyboards are turned down and the guitars up, something that should have happened a little more with one or two of the songs here. The power ballad “Nobody Home” provides a brief respite between the more rocking songs. I’m surprised that was never released as a single as well. “Nothin’ At All” was the fifth single from the album and second to only the opener for hard rockyness, at least as far as singles go. It even reached the top 40 in the UK. “Shell Shock” is a good closer and it contains what is arguably Howard Leese’s best guitar solo for the entire album.

Track Listing:

1. If Looks Could Kill
2. What About Love
3. Never
4. These Dreams
5. Wolf
6. All Eyes
7. Nobody Home
8. Nothin’ At All
9. What He Don’t Know
10. Shell Shock

Heart (Mullet City or what?) 

Ann Wilson- lead vocals

Nancy Wilson- guitars, backing vocals, lead vocal on “These Dreams,” mandolin

Howard Lesse- guitar, keyboards, mandolin, backing vocals

Mark Andes- bass

Denny Carmassi- drums

Heart’s self-titled album brought them lots of commercial success in 1985. One can’t argue with five singles, four in the top ten with one going to number one. Some might think they sold out. I never thought that and there is enough of the old Heart here on this album to counter that claim.

Next post: Foreigner- Agent Provacteur

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Great Rock Albums of 1985: Night Ranger- Seven Wishes

The release of Night Ranger’s third album, “Seven Wishes” confirmed to me what I already knew, Night Ranger were not heavy metal. This didn’t stop the unknowing from continuing to label them as such and it made me grind my teeth at times. The first single, “Sentimental Street” was all the proof one needed. That song is supposed to be a power ballad, I use that term loosely because it is heavily over synthed. All that did was take me back to their more superior power ballad, “Sister Christian” which wasn’t so. Just a fine use of the piano. On the other hand, while I have always believed that Night Ranger was never heavy metal, they definitely weren’t a top 40 band either, in spite of having several songs in the top 40. The best label to give Night Ranger would be melodic hard rock.

I thought that now I’m back from my client holiday, I’d treat you to at least one photo from it. This is the fog lifting off Lynmouth Harbour.

Back to the “Seven Wishes” album. While many metalheads dissed this album back in 1985 and I admit, the first single nearly put me off. Fortunately, I had known for years never to judge an album on one single, so I took the plunge. In spite of what was said about Night Ranger at the time, this album still rocks in many places. Additionally, unlike singles from their first two albums, none of the songs remind me of Rick Springfield. Unlike, “Sentimental Street,” the guitars dominate more than the keyboards, the only exception might be the title track. Even then, there is a fab guitar solo on it as with all the songs, the talents of the guitar duo of Brad Gillis and Jeff Watson are put to maximum use. More proof that I’m mellowing a little with age, I like “Sentimental Street” more now than I did in 1985.

Actually, “Seven Wishes” is an album of two halves for the most part. Part one is the more keyboard oriented songs and singles. “Four in the Morning” was the second single and though not as keyboard oriented, the whole song screams “Single for radio!” Saying that, “I Need a Woman” really cooks and if you only listened to the first five songs, might seem slightly out of place. However, the album goes total rock on the second half of the album. “This Boy Needs to Rock” starts things off perfectly and the rest of the album follows through. “Interstate Love Affair” is my vote for hidden gem on the album. I just love that intro and the way it rocks to the mind blowing guitar solo. Yep, it gets my vote. The closer, “Goodbye” is, in my not so humble opinion, a better power ballad than “Sentimental Street.” Better still, it’s the best song to end the album on a high.

Track Listing:

1. Seven Wishes
2. Faces
3. Four in the Morning
4. I Need a Woman
5. Sentimental Street
6. This Boy Needs to Rock
7. I’ll Follow You
8. Interstate Love Affair
9. Night Machine
10. Goodbye

Night Ranger

Jack Blades- bass, lead vocals

Jeff Watson- guitar

Brad Gillis- guitar

Alan ‘Fitz’ Fitzgerald- keyboards

Kelly Keagy- drums, lead vocals

While Night Ranger aren’t heavy metal, they can’t be simply dismissed. Their brand of melodic hard rock is played very well as this album shows.

Next post: My Second Book Review

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Great Rock Albums of 1985: Kim Mitchell- Akimbo Alogo

Sometime around early Spring in 1985, local radio treated me to probably the best introduction to a song for the entire year and it’s definitely on my list for the greatest intros of all time. When I heard the intro for the “Go For Soda” by Canadian rocker Kim Mitchell, I was completely blown away. Hell, the rest of the song could have sounded like Culture Club but that intro would have been etched in my memory. Fortunately, it doesn’t and “Go For Soda” totally rocks all the way through.

If I had continued on the path from 1985, Kim Mitchell would have been my one hit wonders for 1985. While I liked that song, really liked it, I never got around to listening to the “Akimbo Alogo” album for another year. That was only because while in London, I met a Canadian who was really into him. Then a few months later, I met a Welshman who really liked Canadian bands so it was then that I finally got treated to this fine album.

What I find interesting about “Akimbo Alogo” is how it ricochets back between hard and soft rock. The fore-mentioned single starts it off and with that intro, there’s no better song to start off this album. The harder rock continues with “That’s a Man” and though it has a more blues rock sound, I love that intro as well.  Things go more soft rock with three of the next four songs. “Diary of Rock and Roll Man” being the harder rock exception. “Love Ties” is more softer but not too soft. It has a calypso type sound. “Feel it Burn” is more of a power ballad. Saying that, they are both cool songs but things go much more powerful with “Lager and Ale.” This track is the total rocker for the album. “Rumour Has It” is no less powerful and chalk up another great into with that drum solo at the beginning. Once again, things slow down for the final two songs, the final of these being very soft rock. I must point out that the penultimate song, “Caroline” does have a cool guitar solo on it. Then again, Kim does show his ability with said instrument all throughout the album. I guess here’s another underrated guitarist to add to my list.

Track Listing:

1. Go For Soda
2. That’s a Man
3. All We Are
4. Diary For Rock and Roll Men
5. Love Ties
6. Feel It Burn
7. Lager and Ale
8. Rumour Has It
9. Caroline
10. Called Off

This was the alternative album cover

Kim Mitchell- lead vocals, lead guitar

Peter Fredette- rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals

Robert Sinclair- bass, keyboards, vocals

Paul Delong- drums

Todd Booth- keyboards and synthesizers

Pye Dubois- backing vocals

It could be said that I wasted an entire year or more not getting “Akimbo Alogo” after hearing “Go For Soda.” Maybe so, but I am glad that there were some good friends who made me see the light. Kim Mitchell rocks on this!

Next post: Dire Straits- Brothers in Arms

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Great Metal Albums of 1985: Dokken- Tooth and Nail

Although released in 1984, it took a long time before Dokken’s “Tooth and Nail” album finally got some notice. For me, it couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. By March of 1985, heavy metal got little or no airplay on commercial radio of MTV save for two singles from this album. The first one, “Alone Again,” is number ten on my all time favourite power ballads list. I can’t describe it but the song just kicks ass.

It’s not just the power ballad that makes “Tooth and Nail” my all time favourite Dokken album. Just so happens that it also contains my all time favourite Dokken song, “You Just Got Lucky.” While they were being accused of becoming another glam metal band, this song proved to the world they could still play. I just love how George Lynch works his guitar magic on the song and Don Dokken does a straight forward clean vocal performance. While rumours of these two men totally hating each other were rife even then, this song shows how well they put their differences aside when it mattered.

“Tooth and Nail” has some other great metal tunes on it as well. The title cut is the closest thing to thrash the band will ever come to, a very powerful song. “Heartless Heart” doesn’t shy away from being a great metal tune although the harmonizing vocals begin to remind me of what they would do on future albums but fortunately, this time, I’m able to go back in my mind to 1985 and forget all that. “Don’t Close Your Eyes” offers up more of the same. Great power chords and vocals with some fine, fancy guitar work and that guitar work continues many-fold on “When Heaven Comes Down.” That’s a hard, grindy type of song with a cool guitar solo.

“Into the Fire” was the first single released from the album and thinking back to late 1984, I don’t remember hearing it on any commercial media. Maybe it was too heavy amid the backlash against heavy metal that was starting. What I know is that I like it and as much as I sing the praises of George’s guitar capabilities, I never fully appreciated how great he really was. After another great rocker, “Bullets to Spare,” comes the forementioned power ballad. The thing is that on my first few listens, I thought that maybe “Alone Again” should have been the closer but the way the actual closer, “Turn on the Action,” ends, there is no need to swap things around. The album is good as it is.

Track Listing:

1. Without Warning
2. Tooth and Nail
3. You Just Got Lucky
4. Heartless Heart
5. Don’t Close Your Eyes
6. When Heaven Comes Down
7. Into the Fire
8. Bullets to Spare
9. Alone Again
10. Turn on the Action

Dokken

Don Dokken- lead vocals

George Lynch- guitars

Jeff Pilson- bass, backing vocals

Mick Brown- drums

The “Tooth and Nail” album from Dokken brought a little sunshine to what was a dour early 1985, musically. While it’s always been my favourite Dokken album, I think I like it even more these days.

Next Music Post: Yngwie Malmsteen- Rising Force

There will be another excerpt from my story before that. Oh yes, I would love to read people’s thoughts on Puppy from the last post.

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80sMetalman’s Top 30 Power Ballads: 1-10

The moment of truth has arrived! I am going to real my all time top ten power ballads. Before I do, let me just thank you for all of your comments and for simply enjoying the ride. While sitting down actually figuring out my top 30 was more exhausting than I had anticipated, it was still great fun. Think of all the songs I got to listen to. I know some of you might be a little disappointed that a power ballad you really love didn’t make the list but believe me, there were so many to choose from. Pity poor Ozzy, he has delivered many a great power ballad but not one of them made my list. It’s not that I didn’t want to include him, my favourite Ozzy power ballad, “In Old LA Tonight” from the “Osmosis” album came pretty damn close. Maybe if he preforms it at Download, I may change my mind. Anyway, enough of me rambling on, here’s my top ten.

10. Dokken- Alone Again

9. TNT- Eddie

8. Beggars and Thieves- Your Love is in Vain

7. Steel Panther- Community Property

I can see with lyrics like these why some people don’t take SP seriously but this is a kick ass power ballad!

6. Tyketto- Standing Alone

Another reason why Danny Vaughn doesn’t get the accolades he so truly deserves as a singer.

5. Pretty Maids- With These Eyes

4. Twisted Sister- The Price

For me, this song put the power in the ballad!

3. Savatage- All That I Bleed

I had to do some complicated math to include this one. The first half of it is a piano ballad while the second half completely rocks. So I applied the formula ballad + power rocker = power ballad

2. April Wine- Just Between You and Me

Go back and re-read my post on their 1981 album, “Nature of the Beast” and you’ll see why it’s number two.

1. Heart- Allies

Heart would put out two more commercially successful power ballads later on in the 1980s. However, in my mind, they would never be as good as this one, not even close.

There you have it, 80sMetalman’s top thirty power ballads. I hope you have enjoyed listening to them as much as I have.

Next post: A Great Unknown Philadelphia Band

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80sMetalman’s Top 30 Power Ballads: 11-20

It figures that once I embarked on this massive project, there would be power ballads from my past which really liked but forgot about because of time. Since my last post two have come to light in my mind. Now I know how Sam Beckett must have felt like in Quantum Leap with the Swiss cheese brain. One of them, “I Believe In You” by Y&T, was one but would have only made the lower twenties. The other I have put it jointly with another on the upcoming list. Thing about this one is that this band has already had an entry and though the one from the previous list was commercially more popular, I prefer the the ballad on today’s post to that one. Anyway, here’s 11-20!

20. Def Leppard- Bringing On the Heartbreak

19. Pretty Boy Floyd- I Want to Be With You

18. Danger Danger- One Step From Paradise

17. Von Groove- Arianne

16. Warrant- Glimmer

15. Poison- Every Rose Has Its Thorn

I know I take the piss out of this song a lot but I secretly really kind of like it.

(Joint) 14. The Scorpions- Still Loving You

Yep, you guessed it! This was the other one I had forgotten about. Call me weird but I prefer this one to “Winds of Change.”

(Joint) 14. Metallica- Nothing Else Matters

13. Asphalt Ballet- Wasted Time

12. Steelheart- I’ll Never Let You Go

11. Little Angels- I Ain’t Gonna Cry

There are probably other great power ballads I had forgotten about and you can feel free to put them forward but I must tell you, my top ten is set in stone. In the meantime, you got 11 great power ballads to rock out to.

Next post: 1-10

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80sMetalman’s Top 30 Power Ballads: 21-30

I’ve said on many a post that I’m a sucker for a good power ballad and there have been many on the hundreds of albums I have posted about so far. Therefore, I thought it would be nice, before I take the tour into 1985, that I share my top 30 power ballads, ten at a time. Originally, there was only going to be 20 but there are so many good ones out there that I had to extend it by another ten.

Google defines a power ballad by being an emotional rock song, generally focused on love with strong vocals. That is only half of my definition of the term. For me, a power ballad consists of either good power chords on the electric guitar or a blistering guitar solo, preferably both. That is why I get annoyed at supposed power ballad compilation albums. Sorry, as much as I love, “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner, it doesn’t match my definition.

The problem many people have with them is the fact that they cross over into forbidden territories. Many metalheads consider them too soft for metal, while more trendy music listeners are put off by the power chords. I can’t see why we can’t have both, especially when they’re done well. Besides, while they won’t admit, many male metalheads keep power ballads on hand when they want to show their ladies their more ‘intimate’ side.

Okay, I’ll stop rambling now and give you 80smetalman’s top power ballads, 21-30.

30. Hanoi Rocks- Million Miles Away

29. Gotthard- Still I Belong to You

28. Jefferson Starship- Fading Lady Light

Note: This was the first power ballad fitting my definition that I ever heard

27. LA Guns- Ballad of Jane

26. Motley Crue- Home Sweet Home

25. Nazereth- Love Hurts

This was the second power ballad I heard. I didn’t hear it until 1981, otherwise it would have been the first.

24. The Scorpions- Winds of Change

23. Anthrax- Nice F*ckin’ Ballad

I know Anthrax were taking to piss here but it still a cool power ballad.

22. Crystal Ball- Silence of the Night

21. Guns N Roses- November Rain

There you have it! The first ten power ballads on the list. Have a listen, sit back, mellow out and enjoy the guitar solos.

Next post: 11-20

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